Restoration of multiple span cuts with priority hand-off using SHN

摘要

A system and method for restoring communications in a network having multiple span failures. After a failure is detected, a sender node in each of the plurality of sender-chooser pairs sends a failed status message to the other nodes in the network. The failed status message identifies a restoration priority of the particular sender-chooser pair. Upon receipt, other nodes in the network suspend processing of lower priority restoration efforts and queue lower priority messages if they are preempted by higher priority messages. Lower priority restoration efforts resume upon receipt of a finished status message from the sender node of the higher priority sender-chooser pair.